Portable and collapsible scaffolding unit



, March 23, 1948. JOHNSON ET AL 2,438,173

PORTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE SCAF'FOLDING UNIT Filed June 24, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORJ' Wa/ZaceJ .iJo/mson y Thoma; hf Harvey Maw}!23, 1948- w. J. 5. JOHNSON ETAL 2,438,173

PORTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE SCAFFOLDING UNIT Filed June24, 1946 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5 Wa/Zace J .5. Jahnsorz By Thomas hf Harvey .4TTOPNEYJ' Patented Mar. 23, 1948 PORTABLE AND COLLAPSIBLE, v SCAFFOLDINGUNIT Wallace J. S. Johnson and Thomas H. Harvey, Berkeley, Calif.; saidHarvey assignor to said Johnson 2 Application June 24, 1946, Serial No.678,790

11 Claims. 1

I This invention relates to scaffolds for use by builders and the like,and particularly pertains to a portable and collapsible scaffoldingunit.

It is the principal object of our present invention to provide agenerally improved portable scaffolding unit capable of beingexpeditiously erected for use or collapsed into a relatively smallcompact package for transportation or storage, which units may bereadily superposed one upon the other to erect a scaffold of desiredheight.

It is a furtherobject of our invention to provide a scaffolding unit ofthe character referred to which incorporates a ladder in its frameconstruction to provide safe ascent and descent for workmen.

In practicing our invention, we provide a scaffolding unit composed of aplatform section, a pair of end sections and a ladder section, which arearticulately connected so that they may be folded relative to each otherinto a flat compact bundle. The various components of the scaffoldingunit referred to are so relatively proportioned and connected that theunit may be expeditiously erected into a rigid scaflolding unit at adesired location. The unit is so designed and constructed that anynumber thereof may be superposed upon each other to form a scaffold of adesired height.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the followingdescription and iilustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a scaffolding unit embodying thepreferred form of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the platform sectionof the scaffolding unit and disclosing in detail the construction of theconnections between it and the end sections of the scaffolding unit. I

Fig. 3 is a view of the scaffolding unit in collapsed condition,diagrammatically illustrating the manner of its erection for use.

brace IS. The platform section II comprises three longitudinal framemembers l1, l8 and IS, the frame members l1 and I9 being at oppositesides of the platform, while the frame member I8 is locatedsubstantially midway therebetween.

The three frame members I! to l9, inclusive, are, p

of course, in parallelism.

Each frame member I8 and H! at opposite ends is welded or otherwisefirmly secured to a trunnion 20 rotatably mounted on the uppertransverse frame member 2| of the adjacent end or supporting section.This forms'an articulate connection between the platform section II andthe upper ends of the supporting or end sections l2 and 14. Suitablecollars 22 are welded on the frame members 2| of the end sections toprevent lateral movement or displacement of the frame members l8 and I9along the'members 2|.

A flat flooring 22a is secured on the platform section I l overlying theframe members l1 and 18. This flooring 22a may be of plywood or anyother suitable material of sufiicient strength to support the weight ofworkmen or to suit conditions to which the scaffolding unit is to beput.

The end or supporting frames or sections l2 and I4 each comprise, inaddition to their upper transverse frame member 2|, a lower transverseframe member 23 and a pair of upright parallel supporting legs 24. Theframe members 2| and 23 are welded at their ends to the leg or uprightframe members 24, as illustrated. For the purpose of rigidity andstrength, each end or supporting section includes a diagonal brace 25and a transverse brace 26 extending between the diagonal brace 25 andoneof the leg or upright frame members 24. I

- When the scaffolding unit is erected, we detachably connect theopposite ends of thelongitudinal brace member IS with the transversebrace members '26 by bolts, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. When thescaffolding unit is to be collapsed for transportation or storage, thebolts 21 which connect it to the transverse braces 26 are removed todisconnect the longitudinal brace Hi from the unit itself.

As previously stated, the scaffolding unit also includes a laddersection l5 which provides a dual purpose .of enabling the workmen toascend or descend from the lower 'to the upper end of thescaffolding'unit, and it likewise serves as a diag-- onal brace for theunit. This ladder section l5 of the scaffolding unit comprises twoparallel tubular ladder bars 28 welded to which are treads 29. The upperends of the ladder bars'28 are welded to trunnions 30 also rotatablymounted of the end or supporting section It by bolts 8i. i

It will be noticed from Figs. 1 and 3 that suitable collars 32 areprovided to prevent axial movement of thetrunnions along the framemember 2|.

It will be noticed that the upper ends of the vertical frame members 24of each end section project slightly above the platform section I I andare formed with pintles 33 of a diameter to be telescopically receivedin the lower ends of the legs 24 of a succeeding or superposed unit ofthe same construction. The lower ends of the tubular frame members 24 ofthe supporting frames are open so that they may be telescoped overpintles of a like scaffolding unit to be supported thereby in an uprightposition. We prefer to provide foot members 24' having pintles which canbe telescoped into the lower ends of the frame members 24 for properlysupporting the scaffolding unit on the ground when such members 34 arenecessary or desirable. M

In use, the scaffolding unit is constructed substantially as illustratedand as described herein and is erected in the condition shown in Fig. 1.Aworkman may ascend from the lower to the upper end of the unit bywalking up the ladder it, giving him access to the platform or flooring22a of the platform section ii.

If the scaffold is to be of a height requiring a multiple of the units,they may be erected one upon the other in superposed condition by mere-1y telescoping the lower ends of the frame members 24 of the supportingsections of each succeeding unit over the pintles 33 of the next lowersection. By this medium the workman may safely ascend one unit after theother or descend as he desires. The ladder section is within theconfines of the unit, as shown, and the space required for the scaffoldis maintained at a minimum.

when the scaffolding unit is not in use, it may be folded into arelatively small and compact package by removing the bolts 3i and thebolts 21-, thereby disconnecting the lower end of the ladder unit fromthe transverse frame member 22, and disconnecting the longitudinal braceit from the transverse braces 26.

The end orsupporting section it is pivoted on the trunnions 20- until itlies at the top side of the platform section ii, and the ladder sectionis then pivoted until it lies in substantially the same plane as theplatform section. Thereafter the end section i 2 is swung upwardly underthe ladder section at the side of the platform section ll opposite theother supporting section I 4..

The longitudinal brace, of course, may be positioned longitudinally ofthe flat compact package thus formed of the scaffolding unit.

From the foregoing it is obvious that we have provided a scafl'oldingunit of improved con-- struction which may be expeditiously erected intoa condition for use or compactly folded for transportation or storage.

While we have shown the preferred form of our invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes may be made in its construction by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid platform section. a rigidsupporting section at each end of the platform section, a hingedconnection between adjoining ends of the platform and supportingsections, a ladder section hingedly connected at one end to the end ofone supporting section at the junction between it and the platformsection, and a detachable connection between the other end of the laddersection and the other supporting section at the end of the latteropposite its connection with the platform section.

2. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid platform section. a rigidsupporting section at each end of the platform section, a hingedconnection between adjoining ends of the platform and supportingsections, a ladder section hingedly connected at one end to the end ofone supporting section at the Junction between it and the platformsection and a detachable connection between the other end of the laddersection and the other supporting section at the end of the latteropposite its connection with the platform section, and a brace extendingbetween the sup-' porting sections and detachably connected thereto atcoinciding points intermediate the ends thereof. Y

3. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid rectangular platform section ofopen frame construction,

a rigid supporting section at each end of the platform section, a hingedconnection between adjoining ends of the platform andsupportingsections, a ladder section hingedly connected at one end to the end ofone supporting section at the junction between it and the platformsection, a detachable connection between the other end of the laddersection and the other supporting section at the end of the latteropposite its connection with the platform section, and a brace extendingbetween the supporting sections and detachably connected thereto atcoinciding points intermediate the ends thereof.

4. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid rectangular platform of open frameconstruction, a rigid rectangular supporting section of open frameconstruction hingedly connected to each end of the platform section, aladder section hingedly connected at one end to the end of thesupporting section adjacent to the connection of the platform section,and a detachable connection I section articulately connected at one endto the end of one supporting section at the junction between it and theplatform section and a detachable connection between the other end ofthe ladder section and the other supporting section at the end of thelatter opposite its connection with the platform section, and a bracemeans extending between the supporting sections and detachably connectedthereto at coinciding points intermediate the ends thereof.

6. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid rectangular platform of openframework of tubular construction, a rigid supporting section of openframe tubular construction articuiately connected to each end of theplatform sections, each of said supporting sections having a pair oftubular side members the ends of which are shaped so as to formcomplementary parts of a telescopic joint, a ladder section articulatelyconnected at one end to the end of one supporting section at thejunction between it and the platform section, a detachable connectionbetween the other end of the ladder section and the other supportingsection at the end thereof opposite its connection with the platformsection, and a tubular brace extending between the said supportingsections and detachably connected thereto at coinciding pointsintermediate the ends thereof.

'7. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid platform section, a rigidsupporting section at each end of the platform section, a hingedconnection between adjoining ends of the platform and supportingsections, a ladder section disposed between opposite sides of theplatform section being hingedly connected at one end to the end of onesupporting section at the junction between it and the platform section,and a detachable connection between the other end of the ladder sectionand the other supporting section at the end of the latter opposite itsconnection with the platform section.

8. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid platform section, a rigidsupporting section at each end of the platform section, a hingedconnection between adjoining ends of the platform and supportingsections, a ladder section disposed to underlie the platform sectioncontiguous to one side edge thereof being hingedly connected at one endto the end of one supporting section at the junction between it and theplatform section, and a detachable connection between the other end ofthe ladder section and the other supporting section at the end of thelatter opposite its connection with the platform section.

9. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid platform section, a rigidsupporting section at each end ofthe platform section, a hingedconnection between adjoining ends of the platform and supportingsections, a ladder section disposed to underlie the platform sectioncontiguous to one side edge thereof being hingedly connected to one endto the end of one supporting section at the junction between it and theplatform section, a

detachable connection between the other end of the ladder section andthe other supporting section at the end of the latter opposite itsconnection with the platform section, and a floor covering for theplatform section which does not overlie the ladder.

10. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid rectan ular platform of openframe construction, a rigid rectangular supporting section of open frameconstruction hingedly connected to each end of the platform section, aladder section disposed to underlie the platform section contiguous toone side edge thereof being hingedly connected at one end to the end ofthe supporting section adjacent to the connection of the platformsection, and a detachable connection between the other end of the laddersection and the other supporting section at the end of the latteropposite its connection with the platform section.

11. A scaffold unit comprising a rigid rectangular platform of openframe construction, a rigid rectangular supporting section of open frameconstruction hingedly connected to each end of the platform section, aladder section disposed to underlie the platform section contiguous toone side edge thereof being hingedly connected at one end to the end ofthe supporting section adjacent to the connection of the platformsection, a detachable connection between the other end of the laddersection and the other supporting section at the end of the latteropposite its connection with the platform section, and a floor coveringfor the platform section which does not overlie the ladder.

WALLACE J. S. JOHNSON. THOMAS H. HARVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

